It is of the utmost importance to get the Church to be a praying Church. Too often intercessions are presented like a shopping list of hopes and dreams, when really intercession is about GodÂ’s love and GodÂ’s will. Intercession is a time when we should rejoice in the presence and power of God, knowing that GodÂ’s desire is for our well-being and good. God knows our needs and our concerns. He does not need to be informed by us but He does want us to share with Him in those needs and concerns. One of the wonderful things of intercession is to know we are not alone: God is at work and God cares for us.
As Common Worship gives us new readings for every Sunday, this should encourage us to be looking at new opportunities of prayer and praise and of intercession as suggested by the readings. This book is meant to be a guide to help you do just that. The intercessions for the Sunday arise out of spending time with the readings set for that day. Rather than simply being read out, they are meant to be a resource, an encouragement to pray your own intercessions for the Church and the world.
These intercessions are extracted from the Complete Resource Book of the Searchlights programme for Year A of Common Worship.